home

sea trout

where

when

tactics

flies

tackle

articles

diary

fly tying

rivers

Good sea trout fishing, while not generally as exclusive or expensive as the best of the salmon fishing, is not always easy to come by. On the top salmon fishing beats, sea trout night fishing may not be available at all, while rods on the best beats of the most famous sea trout rivers, in the most productive months, may be scarce and will have to be booked well in advance, often at not inconsiderable cost. The itinerant angler looking for sea trout fishing on rivers throughout the British Isles will often find that local angling associations and clubs offer the best opportunity to gain access to quality fishing at reasonable cost and often at short notice.

Almost all of my sea trout fishing has been done on such association waters, primarily on Scottish rivers. Some of those I have fished, and still do, offer the very best sea trout fishing in the country. These are included below, along with others which I have yet to fish and know only by reputation, but I have a little list which I hope to work my way through in the coming seasons.

Below I list just a few of many British angling associations which offer good sea trout fishing at reasonable cost.  I am sorry that I have insufficient knowledge of Irish fishing to include the many undoubted opportunities offered by angling associations throughout Ireland.

I will begin by looking at a few of the main Scottish Angling Associations, all offering good sea trout fishing opportunities to the visiting angler, and with which I am most familiar.

Angling Associations in Scotland

The River Spey is one of the very best sea trout rivers in the UK and some of the most productive summer sea trout fishing on the Spey is to be had on the beats managed by the two main angling associations, which manage between them approximately 17 miles of prime sea trout fishing on the upper middle river above Grantown on Spey, i.e. the Strathspey Angling Improvement Association, based in Grantown on Spey, and the Abernethy and Aviemore Angling Improvement Association, based at Boat of Garten and Aviemore.  

Abernethy and Aviemore Angling Improvement Association

The Association is now inviting applications for membership for the 2017 season

The Aviemore Fishing Beat

The association here controls two prime sea trout beats. The upper beat, the Aviemore fishing, stretches for more than three miles of the left bank of the Spey in and around Aviemore. There are sixteen named pools, suited to a mix of fishing methods. Much of the river here is slow flowing with heavy tree cover along much of the riverbank. Many pools are best suited to worming or spinning but there are also some fine pools eminently suited to night time fly fishing. Night fly fishing begins in earnest once night temperatures begin to rise and the river level has settled to a reasonable night height, usually in early June, although sea trout will be present from late May. The most productive months for sea trout are June and July. Day and weekly permits are available in Aviemore.

For more information see Abernethy and Aviemore Angling Association

The Abernethy Fishing Beat

The lower Abernethy beat stretches for six miles, from the Miller's Pool above the village of Boat of Garten down to Broomhill Bridge, below the outflow of the River Nethy. There are fifteen named pools, suited to all methods, with many excellent night fly fishing pools. Like the Aviemore beat further upriver, the best of the night sea trout fishing is throughout June and July. Historically, sea trout catches, on this beat alone, of around 1000 per season were not uncommon, with an average size of about two and a half pounds. Catches have fallen away in recent years but I suspect that this is due in large part to the much reduced fishing effort during the short summer nights, with fewer visiting anglers than in earlier times. The sea trout night fishing here can still be superb. The same applies to the Grantown association beats described below. Permits for the Abernethy association water are available at Boat of Garten Post Office.

For more information see Abernethy and Aviemore Angling Association

Strathspey Angling Improvement Association

The association, based in Grantown on Spey, controls seven miles of prime sea trout and salmon fishing on the River Spey, both above and below Grantown. The best of the salmon fishing on this part of the river is from April through May and June and again in September. The sea trout appear in May, with the best of the sea trout fishing in June and July, night catches peaking in late June and continuing through July. A good year now would see around 500 sea trout caught, averaging around two and a half pounds but, like the Abernethy beats upstream, the number of visiting anglers has declined in recent years, so the fishing effort is much reduced. This can be seen as a bonus for both local and visiting anglers, who often find themselves all alone at night on prime sea trout pools.

For more information see Spey Sea Trout Fishing and  Grantown Fishing Pools

Crieff Angling Club

Crieff Angling Club controls some five miles of prime sea trout fishing on the River Earn in Perthshire. There are three beats: Upper Strowan, Braidhaugh and Drummond Castle, all of which have nice pools for night fly fishing. Club Country membership is available to all, currently at £150 per annum, although there may be a wait for a place, and daily and weekly permits are available at reasonable rates for the sea trout fishing through the prime summer months of June, July and August, with the sea trout catches usually peaking in July. The best salmon fishing months are usually September and October. A normal year would see something between 100 and 200 sea trout recorded on the club beats.

For more information and links see River Earn Sea Trout Fishing

Border Esk and Liddel Angling Club

The Border Esk is one of the best sea trout rivers in the south of Scotland. Most of the fishing lies in Scotland but with the outflow into the Solway on the English side of the border, a situation which has been the cause of serious administrative and jurisdictional difficulties in recent years. In common with other rivers flowing into the Solway Firth, recent years have seen lower catches than in earlier decades. A normal year would now see something between 500 and 1000 sea trout recorded on the whole river. Much of the fishing on the Scottish side of the border, previously managed directly by Buccluech Estates, is now controlled by the Esk and Liddel Angling Club, formed in 2011. The club offers day, week and season permits on a variety of beats, covering around twenty miles of fishing, on both the main river around Langholm and Canonbie and on the upper and lower beats of the main tributary, the River Liddel.

For more information see Sea Trout Fishing on the Border Esk

Loch Lomond Angling Improvement Association

The Lomond system offers some excellent sea trout fishing with day, weekly and season tickets available. Sea trout, fresh off the tide, are caught from early in the season on the River Leven, then on Loch Lomond and, later in the summer, in the tributaries, the main interest being in the River Endrick, which, given water, has good runs of both sea trout and salmon from around July onwards to the end of the season in October. Both salmon and sea trout can be taken on the fly a falling spate and, when the spate has run off and the river clears, sea trout can be taken in one of the many likely pools at night on the fly. The sea trout fishing on the Endrick may not be as good as in earlier decades, when fabulous catches of sea trout were once commonplace, but good catches are still made by those who find themselves in the right place at the right time.

For more information and links see:

Sea Trout Fishing on Loch Lomond

Sea Trout Fishing on the River Endrick

Kirriemuir Angling Club

Founded in 1919 the Kirriemuir Angling Club provides Salmon and Sea Trout fishing on the Rivers South Esk, Prosen (both fly only) and Isla. The club fishings are located in Glen Clova, Glen Prosen and Glen Isla, around 14 miles in total, in the foothills of the Grampian Mountains and provide excellent angling for members and day/weekly permit holders. Full club membership is available at £150, with weekly permits £125 and day permits £25.

For more information and links see Sea Trout Fishing on the South Esk

River Ugie Angling Association

The River Ugie is a small spate river which enters the sea at Peterhead in Aberdeenshire. At one time the Ugie was one of the most productive sea trout rivers in Scotland, with huge numbers of sea trout and finnock recorded. Today, around 300 sea trout and 100 salmon are caught each season. Full season, weekly and day permits are available to all.

For more information see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Ugie

Orkney Angling Association

The Orkney Trout Fishing Association manages the fishing on Orkney. In addition to its superb brown trout loch fishing, on famous lochs like Harray, Swannay, Boardhouse and Stenness, there are excellent opportunities to catch sea trout in the saltwater around the many miles of the Orkney coastline. The best of the sea trout fishing is to be had in the spring months of March and April and again in the Autumn months. Membership of the OTFA is the most active way for the individual angler to support the essential work of conservation and preservation of the trout fishing in Orkney. For a nominal sum, currently set at £20 per annum, visiting anglers may use all the facilities of the Association and also ensure the future of some of the best wild trout fishing available.

For more information see Orkney Sea Trout Fishing

For additional maps and information, see also Fishing on the Orkney Islands

Angling Associations in England

Bishop Auckland Angling Club

The River Wear is one of England's top sea trout rivers, vying for top spot in recent years with the Lune, Tyne and Ribble. Catches over the last ten years or so have consistently been well over 1000 per season and have exceeded 2000 in a couple those years.

Wear catch 2004 to 2014

There are many angling clubs, associations and syndicates managing the fishing on the River Wear, one of the foremost being the Bishop Auckland District Angling Club. The Bishop Auckland club is one of the longest established game angling clubs in the north east of England, offering 17 miles of excellent fishing on the middle reaches of the Wear and a further four miles on the upper reaches of the Tees. The Wear has a spring run of large sea trout but the main run occurs from early summer onwards, with catches peaking in late summer and autumn. Sea trout are of a good average size with fish over five pounds appearing regularly in catch reports and double figure fish not uncommon. Membership of the club is open to all at reasonable rates with day permits also available. The club runs an excellent website at Bishop Auckland Angling Club .

For more information see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Wear

Lancaster and District Angling Association

LDAA control five mile of salmon and sea trout fishing on the lower River Lune and offer reasonably priced membership, i.e. local membership for anglers living within a 12 mile radius of Lancaster, currently £200 per year (2018), and associate membership for anglers outside of that area, currently £225 per year. Day permits are available on weekdays only, valid from 8 am to 10 pm, priced at £20 until 31st August and £30 from 1st September to 31st October. 

For more information and website links see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Lune

Kent Angling Association

The River Kent, which flows through the Cumbrian town of Kendal in the Lake District, is an excellent sea trout river, regularly recording in the region of 500 sea trout in a season, with a good average size of between two and four pounds. Sea trout begin to run the lower in May with the best of the sea trout sport on the association beats in July and August. The association, founded in 1848, controls the sea trout and salmon fishing on around eight miles of river, both above and below Kendal, and is open to both local and visiting anglers, with very reasonably priced day and weekly permits available also.

For more information and website links see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Kent

Upper Teign Angling Association

The Upper Teign Angling Association offers around twelve miles of trout, salmon and sea trout fishing on the upper reaches of the river Teign in the Dartmoor National Park. Membership (if places available) is open to visiting anglers and day permits are always available. Almost all sea trout are caught at night and the sea trout fishing is restricted to fly only. The night fishing usually gets underway in May and continues through the summer months. Average weights in early season, May and June, range from two to four pounds. The average size drops in July and August with the arrival of increasing numbers of school peal. Larger fish make an appearance again in September, though sea trout tend to be colouring up by that time.

For more information and website links see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Teign

Dart Angling Association

The Dart Angling Association manage nine miles of salmon, trout and sea trout fishing on Devon's River Dart. Membership is open for application, although membership is limited to 120 members. A limited number of day and weekly permits are available for salmon and sea trout at current rates of £20 per day and £100 per week. The larger sea trout, averaging 2 to 4 pounds but among them double figure fish, arrive in early season. They are joined later in the season by the smaller school peal. A good year would see a recorded sea trout catch of around 300 sea trout for the river.

For more information and website links see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Dart

Liskeard and District Angling Club

The club controls the game fishing on several rivers, including the Fowey, Camel, Lynher and Inny in south east Cornwall. The club offers reasonably priced membership (limited to 250) and visitor permits are available in local shops. The rivers offer excellent sea trout fishing opportunities, with the Fowey recording an annual catch of around 500 sea trout.

For more information and website links see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Fowey

Launceston Anglers Association

Established in 1958 as an affordable venue for game fishermen in the Launceston area, the association currently have access to more than thirteen miles of fishing on the rivers Tamar, Carey, Ottery and Inny. Membership of the association is limited to 100 members but places may be available. Day and weekly permits are also readily available through local outlets. The River Tamar is a good sea trout river with an annual catch of around 300 sea trout.

For more information and website links see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Tamar

Bodmin Anglers Association

Set up to provide reasonably priced fishing for local anglers on the River Camel, the club now accepts members from outwith the local area and also sell temporary memberships (day and weekly permits) at very reasonable rates. The club controls the game fishing on several miles of the river Camel with beats on the lower, middle and upper reaches of the river. The River Camel has a good run of sea trout, with annual catches in excess of 300. 

For more information and website links see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Camel

The Plymouth and District Freshwater Angling Association

The river Tavy has a good run of sea trout, with a catch of 313 recorded in 2016. The PDFAA offers fishing for trout, sea trout and salmon on three beats of the Rivers Plym and Tavy. Options include full membership and day tickets, as below:

2020 Rates

Full Membership - £150 per season.

Trout Membership - £75 per season.

Junior Membership - £10 per season (must fish with an adult age 21 or over).

Day Tickets - £20 (migratory fish) or £15 (non-migratory fish).

NB. Under 16’s can fish free of charge with an adult member age 21 or older.

For more information and website links see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Tavy

Tavy Walkham and Plym Fishing Club

The Tavy Walkham and Plym Fishing Club manages some of the fishing on those rivers and, although some beats are reserved for members, day and weekly permits are available to visiting anglers for much of their waters. Spinning is permitted for sea trout and this can be the most productive method when the rivers are in spate but when the rivers are running low and clear, wet fly fishing in the day or even better at night can produce good bags and these are the methods preferred by locals.

For more information and website links see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Tavy

Angling Associations in Wales

Teifi Trout Association

The Teifi Trout Association manages the fishing on the lower thirty miles of the River Teifi in west Wales. Larger sea trout, some in double figures enter the river as early as late March, when some are taken in high water mainly by spinning. It is not until May and June that night fly fishing begins in earnest. Sea trout numbers increase through early summer, peaking in mid July. A good year on the association water would see catches of anything up to around 1600 sea trout and a few hundred salmon. Season, weekly and day permits are available to all at reasonable rates.

For more information and website links see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Teifi

Llandysul Angling Club

Llandysul Angling Club manages the fishing on thirty miles of the middle and upper Teifi. As on the TTA waters downstream, the largest sea trout tend to run early in the season and some are taken in April and May. Night fly fishing is the preferred method in the lower flows of summer, the main run of fish in the one to four pound class being taken from June to August, with larger fish again appearing towards the end of the season in mid October. The club offers season, weekly and day permits to the visiting angler and limited full membership places are also available.

For more information and website links see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Teifi

Llandovery Angling Association

The association controls ten miles of salmon and sea trout fishing on the River Towy (or Tywi) - seven miles on the upper beat above the town and three miles on the lower beat below the town. The upper river channel is predominantly narrower, and runs through rocky gorges interspersed by deep holding pools. This water is perhaps more suited to worming and spinning, while the water below the town is classic sewin fly water well suited to night fly fishing. Given a wet spring, early run large sewin may be caught as early as April and May, with the main run of sewin in the two to four pound class arriving from mid June onwards. Late summer might see the arrival of smaller shoal sewin and salmon become targeted towards the end of the season. Full membership is available at reasonable rates, in addition to weekly and day permits.

The Llandovery Angling Association is just one of many clubs and associations controlling the sea trout fishing on the Towy. For more information and links to association websites, see the link below.

For more information see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Towy

Llandeilo Angling Association

The Llandeilo Association controls the sea trout fishing on nine miles of the middle River Towy (or Tywi) and offer membership, day and weekly permits to all at very reasonable rates. The club also has one and a half miles of the River Cothi, the main tributary. The Towy is renowned for its large sea trout or sewin, which can be taken from early in the season, followed from June onwards by the main run of sea trout, with smaller shoalies of up to around two pounds in weight appearing increasingly among them as the summer progresses, although double figure sea trout might be caught throughout the season on the association water. In high water sea trout and a few salmon are taken during the day on both spinner and fly, while night fly fishing is the most productive method in the lower flows of summer.

For more information and links see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Towy

Cross Hands and District Angling Association

The association, formed some fifty years ago by retired miners and based in Cross Hands Workingmen's Club, also offers very affordable fishing on the River Towy. The association controls some twelve miles of salmon and sea trout fishing on the Rivers Towy, Cothi and Teifi. Waters stretch from above Henllys Fach beats between Llandovery and Rhandirmwyn at the top of the system to the Pump House beat just off the tide below Capel Dewi. Other waters include Abermarlais Waters stretching for two miles between the road bridge at Llangadog and the Llanwrda railway bridge.

The old beat 5 of the Golden Grove fishery is the newest club water and Typicca beat 6 is presently rented. Next downstream is the Glantowi waters (layby beat) and the Llwynfortune (Dai Boots beat) . On the Cothi there are the Glancothi Waters at The Cresselly Arms, the Dyffryn Uchaf waters above Yniswen bridges and Cwmcothi water. The Teifi can also be fished at Brynteifi Waters for 2 miles single bank at Pentracwrt from Allt y Cafan Bridge through Cwmisdwr farm.

For more information and club links see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Towy

New Dovey Angling Association

The River Dovey (or Dyfi) is one of the best sea trout rivers in Wales, with an annual catch in the region of 1500 sea trout, many of them in double figure weights. Much of the best of the fishing is controlled by the New Dovey Association, which has about 15 miles of the fishing. It offers weekly permits on the lower river and day and season permits for the upper river, above Cemmaes Road.

For more information see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Dovey

Aberystwyth Angling Association

Aberystwyth Angling Association controls 16 miles of sea trout fishing on the Rivers Rheidol and Ystwyth in west Wales. The Rheidol is one of the top Welsh sea trout, or sewin, rivers with an annual catch of around 600 sea trout, many of them in double figures. The association offers season, weekly and day permits at reasonable rates. The permit also covers trout fishing on local lakes.

For more information and web links see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Rheidol

Nevern Angling Association

The river Nevern is an excellent sea trout river with an annual catch of around 700 sea trout. The Nevern Angling Association mange the salmon and sea trout fishing on many miles of the River Nevern in Pembrokeshire. They have fishing on the upper, middle and lower river and offer reasonably priced permits to both local and visiting anglers. The sea trout run normally peaks in July with excellent night fly fishing opportunities.

For more information and web links see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Nevern

Ogmore Angling Association

The River Ogmore, in South Wales, is a good sea trout river with a catch in excess of 500 sea trout per season. Established in 1891, the Association offers affordable game fishing on the River Ogmore and its tributaries. Sea trout fishing is available through both club membership and visitor permits at reasonable rates.

For more information and website links see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Ogmore

Pembrokeshire Anglers Association

The Pembrokeshire Anglers Association manages the sea trout fishing on fifteen miles of the Western Cleddau and its tributaries, with additional beats on the Eastern Cleddau. Through club membership and very reasonably priced visitors permits, anglers have access to many productive pools on the main river, which records an annual catch in excess of 600 sea trout. Sea trout enter the river from May on and all methods are permitted. Disabled anglers are especially well catered for with a superb purpose-built pool and fishing platform at our Angling Center in Treffgarne, with easy vehicular access and picnic facilities.

For more information and we links see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Cleddau

Dolgellau Angling Association

Dolgellau Angling Association has thirteen miles of prime sea trout fishing on the Rivers Mawddach and Wnion in the Snowdonia National Park. Both rivers offer excellent sea trout fishing during the summer months, with the annual sea trout catch approaching 1000, and permits are reasonably priced.

For more information and website links see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Mawddach

Vale of Clwyd Angling Club

The Vale of Clwyd Angling Club controls much of the sea trout fishing on the River Clwyd, on the upper, middle and lower river. Full membership (limited number) is available through online application and a limited number of visitor permits are issued. The Clwyd records excellent sea trout catches in the region of 900 fish per year

 For more information and website links see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Cwyd

Rhyl and St Asaph Angling Association

The association controls 20 miles of game fishing on the Rivers Cwyd, Elwy and Aled. The association has 19 beats, several of which it owns. The main run of sea trout starts in June with the best of the night fly fishing in July and August. There are usually vacancies each year for new club members and a limited number of one day and five day permits are available to non-club members.

For more information and website links see Sea Trout Fishing on the River Cwyd

Dwyfor Angling Association

The River Dwyfor is an excellent small sea trout river located in north west Wales. The annual catch is in the region of 600 to 700 sea trout. The sea trout fishing is managed by the Dwyfor Angling Association, formed in 1927, which owns or leases the fishing rights on ten miles of the Rivers Dwyfor and Dwyfach. To cater for visiting anglers the association issue day, week and season permits at reasonable rates, with concessionary permits for senior citizens and full time students.

For more information, see Fishing the River Dwyfor

Betws-y-Coed Anglers Club

Betws-y-Coed Anglers Club offers club membership and day permits on a stretch of the river Conway at reasonable rates. The river as a whole recorded a ten year average catch (to 2009) of 485 sea trout per season.

For more information, see Fishing the River Conway

Llanrwst Fishing Club

With fishing on the prime lower section of the River Conwy, Llanrwst Anglers offers affordable fishing for local and visiting anglers.

For more information, see Fishing the River Conway

sitemap

privacy